The Emerging Teacher Institute at University of North Texas at Dallas, in partnership with The Raise Your Hand Texas Foundation, awarded 10 Charles Butt Scholarships for Aspiring Teachers May 23. The students are among the Foundation’s 100 inaugural scholarship recipients.

The competitive selection process started with a pool of 350 candidates and included a written application, interviews, group activities, and a demonstration teaching lesson. Each of the scholarship recipients is committed to teaching in high-need Texas public schools or in hard-to-fill subject areas.

“Teaching is one of society’s most important professions and strong teachers are critical to the future of Texas,” said Charles Butt, founder of Raise Your Hand Texas and the Holdsworth Center, and chairman and CEO of H-E-B. “I am thrilled to welcome this first cohort of Charles Butt Scholars and believe this initiative is an important first step in encouraging our best and brightest to consider a career as a teacher.”

The scholarship is part of the Raising Texas Teachers initiative, a 10-year, $50 million project designed to support university-based teacher preparation programs in addressing the needs of 21st century students, elevate the status of the teaching profession, and inspire top students to pursue teaching.

“This is a historic moment for the university and our Emerging Teacher Institute as we partner with Charles Butt and Raise Your Hand Texas to alleviate the Texas teacher shortage and prepare some of the region’s brightest minds to follow the call to teach,” said Dr. John Gasko, UNT Dallas dean of education and the Emerging Teacher Institute.

Recognized as a leader in teacher preparation in Texas, UNT Dallas is one of 10 premier university programs chosen to partner with Raising Texas Teachers in its inaugural year.

The UNT Dallas scholars include: Linda Rodriguez, C’ Sherica Shaw, Marisol Reyna, Ashley Patino, Janeth Villa, Lizbeth Nava, Mariela Rodriguez, Imelda Gonzalez, Kimberly Mares and Cecilia Montoya. Each will receive an $8,000 scholarship each year that covers full tuition and fees at UNT Dallas, as well as ongoing training, mentorship, and networking opportunities facilitated by the Foundation.

Over time, the scholarship program will grow to include at least 500 scholars annually and expand to include leadership development opportunities for the state’s top high school students interested in a career in education. 

Other Texas universities selected for the program include Our Lady of the Lake, Rice University, Texas A&M University, Texas Tech University, Trinity University, University of Houston, the University of Texas at Austin and the University of Texas at Rio Grande Valley.